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Aga Khan Trust with the US embassy funding and support helps restore
16th century tomb in India  Aga Khan Trust helps restore the Sunderwala Burj, a 16th century tom New Delhi: The Sunderwala Burj, a 16th century mausoleum adjacent to Mughal emperor Humayun`s tomb, has been given a major facelift by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, with the US embassy funding and support of the Archaeological Survey of India.
The mausoleum, part of the Humayun`s tomb complex, was restored at a cost of $50,000 from the American Ambassador`s Fund for Culture Preservation and a matching grant of the Aga Khan Trust, said conservation architect Ratish Nanda, who head the trust`s projects in India.
The trust is also spending in excess of $10 million to landscape the Sunder nursery surrounding the tomb as part of its Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative.
"Though protected, the Sunderwala Burj had lost its original architectural and historic character due to inappropriate repairs using modern materials such as cement," Nanda told reporter
"The actual conservation was preceded by an exhaustive documentation, including a 3D laser scan, that revealed the striking patterns on the ceiling, original polychromy layers and the original extent of the building plinth," Nanda said.
The white and red contrast, one of the favourite colour palettes of the Mughal builders, has been restored with "white lime mortar mixed with marble dust and egg white ground by hand for months," he said.
The tomb is unique for its ornamental ceiling inscribed with floral motifs and scripts seen in Kashmiri and Persian wooden ceilings, he said.
"The ceiling had suffered extensive damage because of water seepage," Nanda said.
A band of Quranic inscription circling the inner wall surfaces of the mausoleum just over the doorway has been carefully recorded and is being restored by calligraphers from the adjoining Nizamuddin `basti`, the architect said.
More than 100 master craftsmen were engaged for nine months to restore missing portions of the ornamentation and replace cement plaster layers with lime mortar, he said.
"Local youth from the adjoining community at Nizamuddin were trained in building craft traditions to help restore the tomb," Nanda said.
Conservation work should aim to restore the intention of the original builders by engaging master craftsmen, and thus create employment and help keep craft skills alive, he added.
   
HISTORY With exquisitely ornamented plasterwork on the ceilings, unique in Delhi, this early 16th century building is amongst the earliest building built during the Mughal reign and stands within the World Heritage Site Buffer Zone.
CONDITION The Sunderwala Burj suffered severe decay to the decorative plasterwork due to water seepage from the terrace. 20th century and later repair works using modern materials such as cement had adversely affected the original architectural integrity and caused further deterioration.
STUDIES Conservation works undertaken with AFCP grant, were preceded with a year long programme of scientific investigation, material and architectural documentation by the ASI- AKTC team. The architectural study was coupled with a focused archival research programme, Structural analysis by a UK based consultant, High definition survey using 3D laser scanningequipment, detailed condition mapping and GPRS (Ground Penetrating Radar Survey) of the site– all aimed at making this a model conservation projec
Conservation Works As part of the ongoing project the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation is funding the conservation of Sunderwala Burj. On 4-May 2011, the U.S. Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer laid the first sandstone slab on the floor that will mark the beginning of the final phase of works. The conservation works followed a systematic and scientific approach. All works carried out using traditional materials, craft techniques and tools my master craftsmen who have inherited craft skills. Works have been supervised by a multi-disciplinary team comprising Conservation architects, engineers, material scientists and archaeologists.
CEILING The most significant of the building element, approximately 15% of the ceiling that was lost has been carefully restored. The remaining portion was carefully stabilised and cleaned to reveal its original glory.
WALLS Large portion of cement plaster t the internal and external walls and even the dome surface was carefully removed to retard further deterioration. This was replaced with lime plaster prepared with traditional additives such as gur, belgriri, sand and brick dust. Red polychromy was visible even prior to conservation works but greater portionhs were revealed during the cleaning process. Matching the interior surfaces and the external contrast of the Humayun's Tomb, the final white and red surfaces have been restored with several 'protective coats' of lime plaster with the natural geru added for the red polychromy. No paint has been used – significant since with the use of traditional materials the patina will return within a few monsoons.
STONE LATTICE SCREEN The four arched openings over the doorways originally had sandstone lattice screens which seem to have been removed in the 20th century for the antique market. To respect the original design intention and secure the interiors from birds, sandstone screens carved with traditional tools and master craftsmen have been restored to the arched openings.
PLINTH Archival photographs, Ground Penetrating Radar survey revealed the extent of the plinth which will be clad with sandstone and afford great views to the surrounding areas and even to Humayun's Tomb.
LANDSCAPE WORKS Together with the conservation works, in order to enhance the historical character AKTC is undertaking landscaping in partnership with the CPWD. The plinth is surrounded by an almost equally deep enclosed garden.
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